Category: Miscellaneous

Golf is a huge part of American culture. Whether you play golf professionally, recreationally, or to close business deals outside the office, it is a part of many of our lives, and even helps our economy grow. Today we celebrate National Golf Day, but for reasons that may not immediately come to mind. Debug the … Continued

Do you ever wonder how golf courses keep their greens and grounds attractive and functional? At one time or another, we’ve all wished we could have a lawn that looks at least a little like the greens at the U.S. Open. Debug the Myths went on a behind the scenes tour recently with Jim Ferrin, … Continued

Debug the West has officially begun. First stop, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Sacramento! On Friday, June 10, RISE teamed up with local landscaper, John Williams from Terra Care & Associates and local vector control specialist, Luz Maria Rodriguez from the Sacramento Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District, to help members of the … Continued

With spring here and summer soon to follow, there couldn’t be a better time to get outside and start cleaning up around your home and favorite public spaces. Keeping your home, lawn, park, and local recreation areas clean is an important part of beautifying your community for everyone’s enjoyment. Great American Cleanup, organized by Keep … Continued

When’s the last time you played outside? Kicked around a soccer ball? Went to the local park? Took a hike? If it’s been too long, here’s an excuse to get outdoors. Beginning April 2, National Play Outside Day will be observed the first Saturday of every month. This day will encourage children and adults to … Continued

Most homeowners are becoming increasingly more aware of how their actions in regards to home maintenance, lawn care and more influence the environment around them. This is good news – we all need to play our part in protecting the world in which we live. However, it’ also important to have the full story – … Continued

With Halloween just around the corner, many of us will be looking for spooky decorations for our home. Halloween favorites include the traditional spiders and cobwebs, rats, bats and more, but while these plastic decorations welcome trick-or-treaters and show holiday spirit, the real pests aren’t so welcoming. Just as trick-or-treaters will flock to your door … Continued

In the investigate step, we discussed the many ways and reasons that pests could enter your home or inhabit your lawn and garden, and now, after studying and preparing, it is time to eliminate the problems you may have identified. Pests need three things to survive: food, water, and a place to live. While you … Continued

After investigating your home for potential pest problems, this next step is all about arming yourself with knowledge about the problems you have identified. Here, you will want to study the problems you found while investigating and prepare to solve those problems. . By studying and preparing, you’re not only learning about the pests in … Continued

Cathie Lavis is a professor of horticulture at Kansas State University. Her expertise includes landscaping, arboriculture, irrigation, and landscape contracting. She provides insight for homeowners and gardeners on plant care, selection, and more. You do not have to walk the historic narrow streets of Orvieto, Italy to realize flowers and plants create romance, ambiance and … Continued